The present invention pertains to telecommunication network access by a mobile subscriber and more particularly to a method and apparatus for minimizing the setup time for a mobile station interconnection to an external network.
Currently, there is an emphasis on access to various external networks by a mobile station of a mobile subscriber. In order for a mobile station to access an external network such as the Internet, many connections or links must be made from the mobile station through communication networks to the external network. Each of these links means connecting network equipment or networks to one another. Handshaking is commonplace in such setups. Each connection of equipment is a sequential connection from one network node to the next. Setup times to make the required connection can range up to ten seconds or longer.
Setup time depends on a number of variables, among them are network traffic and accessibility to various network equipment. A packet data protocol (PDP) context setup is a significant portion of the session initiation for a particular mobile station to reach an external network. First, a radio access network (RAN) must assign a radio access bearer (RAB) to the mobile station. The radio access bearer is essentially a radio bearer channel, which is set up for each mobile station request for service. Second, the radio access network links to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN). Next, the SGSN further links to a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN). Finally a link is established between the GGSN and a border gateway (BGW) or media gateway (MGW). If the data session terminates to a destination point on the external network, then the final link establishments continue, but outside the realm of the communications network. If the session terminates to a local applications service provided by the media gateway (MGW), then the link establishment procedure is complete for this session. This serial linking of network events takes a long time as seen by the subscriber of the mobile station.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to have an expedited packet data protocol context setup through a network to an external network such as the Internet. As a result subscriber satisfaction will be greatly increased.